JOHN MOORE TALKS EXCLUSIVELY TO HRO ABOUT HIS FUTURE POST HONG KONG RACING

By Darren Winningham | Thursday, December 5, 2019

WINNO IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN MOORE - PART 2

Legendary trainer John Moore is weighing up his future as the Jockey Club prepares to end his glittering training career in Hong Kong due to him reaching 70 years of age.

Rules are rules but he has been battling successfully in recent season with the best trainers in Hong Kong – so why let someone with so much talent and knowledge leave? Surely the brand will suffer in his departure.

I may be biased here.

I first met John and his wife Fifi when they won the 2016 Group 1 Queensland Derby with Eagle Way trained on the Gold Coast by good friend Bryan Guy.

From that day on when I come to Hong Kong, John always takes time out to speak with me and we talk on several issues in horse racing. He is a busy man and his time is precious, so I am always grateful for the time he gives me.

Today at Sha Tin at the 2019 LONGINES International Races barrier draw I quizzed him on video about his chances in the Group1 races this weekend. Then out of respect I turned the camera off and asked him could I ask about his future post Hong Kong. He smiled and said yes.

Here we go people – it is time to read on!

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I dotted my “I”’s and crossed my “T”’s. I started with I know that you have a premises on the Gold Coast and your brother Gary has stables on the Gold Coast – so what chance is there seeing John Moore in Queensland or, more particularly, on the Gold Coast post Hong Kong?

“Well, let’s say I will be having a look at what the Gold Coast Turf Club has got in line with respect to new track, lights, city prizemoney and everything like that. I can confirm that someone from the Gold Coast Turf Club has been speaking to me and have asked to have an interview with me come Magic Millions time. So, there is always this as a possibility.”

“There is a possibility that Gary may move up to the Gold Coast. Gary has mentioned that he may be moving up to the Gold Coast in time and then we will see what transpires. There is still a lot of water to pass under the bridge with respect to being here in Hong Kong”.

“But, as a matter of fact, I have three countries in mind. Australia is probably the priority but whether it is Queensland or NSW – let’s just wait and see” said Moore.

I did put the case sternly for John to come to Queensland – the lifestyle, the weather, the beaches and of course me! I would get to see him more often and ask more questions! He was as usual the ultimate professional and smiled.

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John has a knack of finding the better horses through his astute acquisition of horses from around the globe. Moore told me a shift in approach to sourcing horses made his stable what it is today. In the 1990’s he went to Europe with an owner and bought horses and success was swift.

“I started to go to Europe every year. We went in there and looked at dozens of horses and everything turned around in Hong Kong. Everything changed. We had Group One horses because we got the buying power.”

He acknowledged the work that his brother Gary Moore has undertaken in recent years in viewing races all around the world and targeting horses to be bought and transported to Hong Kong. In fact, a horse that won at Happy Valley on Wednesday was identified by Gary after watching a breeze up. The horse was Flying Genius ridden by Ryan Moore in the first leg of the LONGINES International Jockeys Championship – ironically trained by Tony Cruz.

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We moved on to horses that he may end up training if he comes to Australia. The ones that are smart and up to Group 1 racing. Would he bring them back to Hong Kong for the major meetings here?

“I definitely will. If I have got the right horse. But I would not come here just for the trip. I would seriously come here to be very competitive. If I get the right horse, I will be back here in Hong Kong to front up to all my racing fans!”

We parted ways with him smiling and telling me, “I will see you at the Gold Coast Magic Millions”.

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There he goes off back to the stables – back to work nearly 70 years of age, still agile, still the ultimate professional and a man with so much wisdom about life and the master of getting the best out of his horses. Who would not want a talent – no hold on – a legend in their jurisdiction?

I think that the writing is on the wall – it is a battle of State of Origin proportion!

Can you believe it – on this occasion I am supporting Queensland. I only hope that Queensland Racing get together and devise a package to entice John Moore into our ranks. He has so much more to offer – he can offer his knowledge to jockeys, to other trainers and to the racing brand.

Can you imagine the publicity if this coup is brought off and he comes to Queensland?

The stage is set – the hook baited – now it is over to the powers of Queensland Racing and the Gold Coast Turf Club to gain an audience whilst he is in Australia for Magic Millions and make sure that Queensland is front and centre in any deliberations that he is considering.

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